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Gillibrand rebukes Charles Barron

By ALEXANDER BURNS

06/15/2012 08:30 AM EDT

Democrats in New York State have gotten a bit nervous lately about the possibility that Charles Barron, a divisive city councilman with a history of making incendiary racial and anti-Israel statements, could win a House primary for the seat of retiring Rep. Ed Towns. So it's notable that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has decided to weigh in on the primary with a statement to -- of all places -- the Weekly Standard:

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has come out against fellow Democrat Charles Barron, a House candidate for the state's Eighth Congressional District. "Any candidate who is anti-Israel does not share Senator Gillibrand's values," says spokesman Glen Caplin in an email to THE WEEKLY STANDARD.

Barron, a New York City councilman from Brooklyn, has a history of comments questioning the legitimacy of the state of Israel and saying New York Jews "[walk] these streets as if they own them."

Jeffries is the favorite of the mainstream political crowd; BuzzFeed reported yesterday on the White House's quiet support for him in the race. The Daily News endorsed Jeffries and dubbed Barron a "malignant clown." But it's hard to predict turnout in a June 26 primary and a win for Barron could be embarrassing for Democrats -- including Gillibrand, who may face a general-election campaign against GOP Rep. Bob Turner, best known for winning a special election as something of a single-issue pro-Israel candidate.